Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-01-23

"You bet" said Rawlins, looking from
Kate to her sister in ~undiSguiScd admira-
ton.
And | suppose the duty could not have
been a very pleasant one said Mrs. Hale,
timidly, without looking at her husband.
cad, madam, that's just it" said the
gallant Colonel, seating himself with a
comfortable air, and an easy, though by
no means disrcspcctful familiarity. I'VE
went into this fight u little more than a
week ago. The only scrimmage we've had
has been with the detectives that were on
the robbers track. la! la! The hest pco-
pie we've met have been the friends OF the
men we were huntin', and we've generally
! come Ia the conclusion to vote the other
ticket! FL Judge Hale and me agreed ez
we cam" along, the two men cz we'd most
like To see just now and shake hands with
are George Lee and Ned Falkner."
THE two leaders of the party who rob
bed the coach explained Mr.. Hale, with
Il slight return of his usual precision of
statement.
The three women looked at each other
with Il blaze Ofthlnksgiving in their CRATE
ful ewes. Without comprehcnding all
that Col. Clinch had said they understood
enough To know that their late guests
were safe from the pursuit OF that party,
and that their own conduct was spared
criticism. | hardly dare write 1t, but
instantly assumed the appearance Of az
grieved martyrs, and felt a if they were!
''Yes, ladies' continued the colonel,
inspired by the bright eyes fixed upon
him. I'VE haven't taken the road our
selves yet but-pOhn honOr-wc wouldn't
mind doing it in q case like this" Then
with the fluent but somewhat exaggerated
phraseOlogy of a man trained to stump
speaking, he gave an account of the rob
berry and his own connection with it. He
spoke ofthe swindling and treachcry which
had undoubtedly provoked Falkner "a
obtain restitution Of his property by an
overt act of violence under the leadership
of Lee. He added that he had learned
since at Wild Cat Station that HaIkins had
fled the county, that a suit had been com,
mcnced by the Excelsior Ditch company,
and that all available property of Harkin'
had been seized by the sheriff.
"Of course it can't hc proved yet, bat
there's no doubt in my mind that Lee, who
is an old friend of Ned FalkDer's, got NJ
that job to help him, and that Ned's of
with the money by this time-and In
right glade Of it. | can't say ez we've
done much toward it, except to keep tumb
ling in the way of that detective party G
Stanner's, and 80 throw them of the trail
-ha, ha, The Judge here, | reckon, has
had his share of fun, for while lac was a
Hennickcr's trying to get some facts from
Hennicker's pretty d%iughther, Stanner
tried to get mp some sort OF vigilance com
mittee of the stage passengers To burr
down He~nnicker's ranch out of spite, but
the judge here stepped in and stopped
that
at was really a highhanded proceeding
Josephine, but | managed to check it,
said Hale. meeting somewhat consciously
the first direct hook his wife had cast upoT
him, and falling back for support on hi,
old manner. In its way, | think it wa,
worse than the robbery by Lee and Falk
ner, for it was done in thu name OF Law
and order; while, as faras / can Judge from
the facts, the affair that We were followin.
up was simply a rude and irregular resiilu
ton of property that had been morally
stolen"
81 have no doubt you did quiie right
though | don't understand it." said Mrs
Hale, l~anguidly; ''bnt | trust these gentle
men will stay to luncheon, and in tn,
meantime excuse us for running away, a
we are short of servants, and Manuel Seems
to have followed the example of the heaf
of the house and left us, in pursuit ofsome
body or something"
When the three women had gained tn,
vantage ground Of the drawing room, Kat.
said, earnestly, Gas it's all right, hadn'
we better tell him nOw?''
Decidedly not, child" said Mrs. Scott